Coupler for keyboards of pianos



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. A. BOEHM.

GOUPLER FOR KEYBOARDS 0F PIANOS. No. 553,829. Patented Feb. 4, 1 89 `(NuModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. A. BOEHM.

COUP-LER FOR KEYBOARDS OF PIAN-0S. N0. 553,829. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

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UNITED STATES ERNEST A. BOEHM, OF

PATE-NT OFFICE.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COUPLER FOR KEYBOARDS OF PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,829, dated February4, 1896.

Application filed September 6, .1895. Serial No. 561,680. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ERNEST A. BOEHM, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Couplers for the Keyboards of Pianos, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.y

My invention has relation to improvements in couplers for the keyboardsof pianofortes; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combinationof parts more fully set forth in the speciiication and pointed ont inthe claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my complete invention. Fig.2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing one ofthe pegs controlled by one end of the coupler. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the coupler detached; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to that shownin Fig. 2, showing the coupler completely off or disengaged.

The object of my invention is to construct a coupler for piano-keyboardswhereby, when a certain key of the board is struck or depressed by thefinger of the operator, the corresponding note of the next succeedingoctave may be made to respond simultaneously with the note struck.

The present device may be attached to the ordinary upright piano of anyof the standard makes, and can automatically be disengaged from or bebrought into engagement with the keyboard at the will of the operator.In detail the invention maybe described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a long narrow board coveredpreferably with cloth on the upper surface and on which the series ofcouplers are pivotally mounted. Each coupler is composed of a medialmember 2, a short terminal arm 3, substantially at right angles to themember 2, a defiected portion 4, also substantially at right angles tothe member 2, but disposed perpendicularly to the arm 3, and anoutwardly.terminal extended arm 5, forming a continuation of thedeiiected portion i and parallel substantially to the arm 3 andextending in the saine direction therewith. The member 2 forms the pivotabout which the arms 3 and 5 oscillate, the several members 2 being eachpivotally secured to the board 1 by the free end of a metallic strap orclip 7, riveted at one end to the board at either end of the member 2and adjacent respectively to the arm 3 and the deflected portion i, eachclip having interposed between it and the member 2 a piece of cloth 8.Secured by suitable blocks 0 and parallel to the longitudinal edge ofthe board 1 is a strip 10, provided with a series of openings 11, eachadapted to loosely receive a vertically-operating peg 12, having anupper terminal felt-covered head 13 held normally a slight distan ceabove the upper surface of said strip.

The construction of the coupler is such that the several medial members2 can be arranged side by side in parallel series diagonally across theboard 1, as best seen in Fig. 1. The board 1 is pivoted along its frontlongitudinal edge at either end thereof by a hinge 14, secured to thefront edge of a standard 15, carried at either end of the piano-frame atany convenient point thereof. The medial portion of the rear edge of theboard 1 is pivotally connected by a depending lug 1G and a rod 17 to oneof the pedals 18, the position of which, as shown in full lines in Fig.2, is its depressed positionthat is, as held down by the foot of theoperator.

The construction of the keyboard and the action of the risers orabstracts operated upon the depression of any key is not here enteredinto, that being a feature which is well known and old and forming in noway the subjectmatter of this application. Suffice it to say, however,that when any key-for example, X -is struck or depressed, the rearportion thereof raises the abstract or riser 19 controlled by it. Noweach abstract under my present invention is provided with a rightangularprojecting arm 20, the free end of which carries a vertically-adjustablescrewthreaded rod 2l, whose lower end is provided with a felt-coveredhead 22 and superposed directly over the free end of the extended arm 5of the coupler. At the same time the arm 3 of the coupler is locatedimmediately over the head 13 of the peg l2 of the key removed one octavedistant, it being understood that the length of the member 2 of eachcoupler is such that the arms 3 and 5 co-operate with abstracts removedjust one octave apart.

Then the board 1 and strip 10 are depressed,

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or when the coupler is om as shown in full lilies in Fig. 2, the head 13of the peg 12 is held at a suitable distance above the upper surface ofthe strip 1() by the rear end of the key operating' the peg. The head 1Sthus slightly elevated tilts the arm 3 of the coupler ont of contactwith the boa-rd 1 to which the coupler is pivoted, tilting it at itsfree end an amount equal to the distance that thehcad ol the peg hasbeen raised above the surface ot' the strip 10 by the rear of said key.Under these circumstances, too, the free end of the arm 5 is in contactwith the felt-covered head 22 of the rod 21. As seen from the drawings,the end of the member 2 which forms the pivot for the member is locateda slight distance from the revolving longitudinal edge of the board 1,so that the base of the arm 23 is adapted to rest and be supported bytheboard when the coupler is allowed to tilt or drop to its lowest positionrelatively to the upper surface of the board. New when it is not desiredto use the coupler the operator removes his foot from the pedal. 1S, thelatter assuming its normal position through the action of the free endof the resilient flexed spring 25 secured at one end to the innersurface of one or both of the standards 15, which spring not only raisesthe pedal to its normal position, but'tilts the coupler-carrying` board1 to its highest position, as shown in Fig. 5. As the board is thusbeing swung upward about its pivotal edge, it is apparent that in thismotion the pivotal point or end of the swinging member 3 is raised; butas the pivotal end of the said member 3 is thus raised the etlect is todepress the free end of the said member or arm S-that is to say, theeileet is to bring said arm more nearly to the horizontal whileyetsupported by the peg 1 (See dotted position of the parts in Fig. 2lVhile the free end oit' the arm thus being .relatively depressed. ortilted, the free end of the arm 5, which had heretofore (that is, duringthe depressed position of the board 1) been. in contact with the base ofthe rod 21, will drop away from said rod, but a greater distance thanthe free end ot' the arm 3 has dropped, owing to the fact that it islonger and the further fact that its pivotal point is in fact the juncture of the deflected portion if with the member 2. The coupler-mmsI3 and 5, therefore, will drop, as it were, until arrested by reason ofthe arm 3 beingI supported and arrested by the upper surface of theboard 1. This arrest of the coupler-arms happens when the strip 10 hasjust come in contact with the base of the head 13 of the peg 12. Afurther upward sweep of the board 1, therefore, will raise the base ofthe peg 12 away from the rear end of the key which had previouslysupported it and at the same time raise the free end of the arm 5 asecond time into contact with the base of the rod 21, the free end ofthe arm being at all times of course supported by the head 13 of the peg12; but as the peg itself is now out of contact or reach of any actionof the key the possibility of the peg 12 being raised to elevate the arm3 disappears, and the coupler under these circumstances therefore willbe disengaged. (See Fig. 5.)

To re-engage the coupler, the board 1 is again depressed, when the firstelfect olsuch depression will be to remove the free end ol the arm 5 outof contact with the rod 2l and lower the peg 12 sufficiently to bringthe same to rest on the rear of the key opcrz'tting it. A furtherdepression of the board will cause the head 123 of the supporting-peg 12to tilt the arm $5 upwardly and at the same time to tilt the free end ofthe arm upward till it comes again in contact with the base of the rod2l, when the partis will again. be in their coupled position-that is tosay, the coupler will be on-as represented in full vlines in Fig. L.

It is apparent that when the coupler is on if the operator, for example,strikes the key X the rear end of said key will raise the abstract 1f),as usual, and produce the sound or note corresponding to that key. Atthe same time the rear end of the same key will raise the peg 12, itshead 1S raising the free end of the arm 8, thus tilting the couplerupward about its pivotal member 2 and causing the free end of theextended arm 5 thereof to raise the felt-covered head ot' the rod 21.,removed just one octave to the right, which rod 21 in turn raises theabstract 15)/ carrying the same and removed one octave from the abstract10, and thus sounding the note corresponding to the key X represcntei'lby said abstract 1.0.

rllhe present device is applicable not only to pianos, but to organs andsimilar instruments.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a piano, suitablecouplershavingme dial portions adapted to be arranged and pivoted inparallel series, each medial portion thus pivoted having arms at eitherend detlected in the same direction from their common medial portionadapted to co-operate with the abstracts of keys removed one octaveapart, substantially as set forth.

2. ln a piano, a coupler having a medial portion, a terminal armsubstantially at right angles to the medial portion, a deilected portionat the opposite end ot' the medial portion also substantially at rightangles to 'the medial portion but disposed perpcndicularly to theterminal arm, and an extended arm forming a continuation of thedeflected portion and parallel substantially to the terminal arm,substantially as set forth.

23. In a piano, a suitable board, a series ol movable pegs mounted inthe line of the keys of the piano and adapted to be controlled each bythe depression of its correspoiuling key, a suitable coupler operated bythe action of each key, and suitable connectionsbetween the coupler andthe abstract of the key rcmovcd one octave, for simultaneously con- IOOIIO

trolling said abstract and sounding the note corresponding thereto,substantially as set iorth.

et. In a piano, a suitable pivoted board, a pivotal connection betweenits free edge and the pedal-lever, a series of couplers having terminalarms deflected substantially parallel to one another carried by theboard and adapted to co-operate With the keys When the board is in itsdepressed positiomand suitable means for disengaging` the couplers andboard from the keys, substantially as set forth.

5. In a piano, a suitable spring-actuated longitudinally-pivoted board,means for controllingl said board from the pedal-lever, a series ofcouplers having medial portions pivoted to the board diagonallyT acrossthe same in successive series, a terminal arm for each coupler, a seriesof vertically-operating` pegs actuated by the rear of the keys andadapted to control the short or terminal arm of the coupler, anupwardly-deflected portion also substantially at right angles to themedial member but perpendicular to the terminal arm, anoutwardly-extending terminal arm forming a continuation of the deflectedportion and substantially parallel to the terminal arm, a series ofabstracts or risers co-operatingwith the several keys, avertically-adjustable rod carried by each abstract and adapted toco-operate With the long terminal arm forming a continuation of eachdeilected portion of the couplers, the terminal arms of the severalcouplers co-operating simultaneously With keys removed one octave, andsuitable spring-clips at either end of the medial portions of thecouplers forming the pivotal connections between the said couplers andthe board carrying the same, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ERNEST A. BOEHM. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. MATHEY, E. STAREK.

